masterpiece
by Conflate
Summary: Kise was his muse, and after the months they had spent together, Aomine had him to thank for carrying him so far. Kise kept him inspired, Aomine's art found life because of him; his horizons expanded, and everything started looking brighter, feeling warmer. Aomine discovered a masterpiece in Kise Ryouta, and he was thankful every day for their fated meeting.


For years, Aomine's life revolved around two things: basketball and art. When he wasn't doing one, he was being occupied by the other. Basketball was his life, something he was brilliant at and spent his youth perfecting. Art was another thing entirely. It was something he discovered; it came naturally, almost as naturally as basketball. A high school desk located in the back of the room was where one tanned teen realized that _hey, these crappy-ass margin doodles aren't that bad_. It sprung from there, taking over like a growing weed. Said crappy-ass margin doodles turned into hour-long works of art which he stowed away in his bedroom, not wanting anyone to see them. That was until one day, when Momoi stumbled across them while looking for a pair of the ace's basketball shoes. She had an inkling that something was up from the way Aomine was always hunched over his notebook, quickly working a pen or pencil across the page; what she didn't expect was stacks of papers, filled to the edges with doodles.

Given he didn't have much inspiration, there were a few drawings of his favourite shoes at different angles, a basketball, the Touou girls uniform (with an emphasis on an expected portion of the woman's body), and even a candid of Momoi from when they were out eating lunch. She had figured he was just ignoring her like he usually did, not making… _This_. It was absolutely breathtaking, and there was a realness to it that made it look like it could jump right off the page and start talking to her. It mirrored her perfectly.

It was thanks to Momoi and her insistence that Aomine look into art universities that he landed himself in one of the most prestigious places around. Due to his portfolio, his athleticism, and Momoi's guidance and his parent's assistance, he easily made his way into a university that closed the door on far too many people. It gave him a sense of pride, despite their basketball team not being very well-known. It didn't matter to him though, because it was a sport he had come to love with all his heart once again. However, his love for art was fiercely battling his love and desire for basketball.

The first semester passed in the blink of an eye. Basic art classes taught him new things he didn't knew he knew until he was sitting there, pen in hand thinking _I already know this crap, teach me something else._ Going to his classes felt less like a chore then they did in high school, and Aomine found himself attending them more regularly than he once did, even arriving early to some of them. From the phone calls he exchanged with Momoi who was attending a different university a few hours away, he could tell she was impressed, but would brush it off with a "Shut up, Satsuki." He was surprised himself, that such a simple thing as discovering a hidden talent which he had grown to admire would cause him to pull his ass from bed and shuffle out of the building towards his early morning classes.

After the semester ended and Aomine was on vacation, he couldn't help but think that he wanted to be back in school, drawing and enjoying himself. It was peaceful; sometimes he'd find an empty classroom full of easels and various other supplies and let his hands work. There was no one to bug him, but occasionally he'd find himself sharing a room with another student that would come and go quietly; he'd forget they were even there.

Vacation dragged on, but he started reconnecting with old friends and teammates, and found himself on the court more often than not. It was relaxing, despite how competitive he'd get. He missed playing, and he missed fooling around. Ending the day without being sore and out of breath was not something Aomine wanted. He wanted to feel his muscles burning and screaming, wanted to feel worn out and exhausted. He wanted to enjoy his time on the court while he still had it, before heading back to school. Tryouts wouldn't be starting for a few more months, and with the insane amount of projects being dumped on him, he rarely had time to enjoy what little time he had.

Finally, vacation ended and he was back on campus, lying in bed and staring up at his room's ceiling. He was sated, having had his fill of basketball for the time being, though his fingers still twitched in desire to hold the ball in his hands, wanted to feel the dips of the ribs beneath his callouses. These feelings faded as classes started back up and became more hectic. Sometimes he'd find himself questioning if this was what he truly wanted, and when he picked up a pencil and allowed his hand to drag it across the paper, he realized that yes, this was _exactly_ what he wanted.

One class he found himself not being _that_ excited about was life drawing. He was fonder of scribbling inanimate objects – bowls of fruit sounded more appealing – than drawing people, hence his collection of shoe drawings. There was that one time he drew Momoi, but that was the first and only time he dared drawing a human figure. When his professor mentioned to the class that they'd be taking on their first model a few days later, Aomine wanted to skip out completely. He was not looking forward to it at all.

When the fated day arrived, Aomine stood there, anticipating some old woman with more rolls than curves to wander in as their model, and he found himself wanting to head back to his dorm and take a nap. The last thing he needed was for the image of sagging breasts to be implanted in his mind and on his paper for who knows how long, ruining his love for breasts forever. However, when the door was pushed open and everyone's attention averted towards said location, the entire room went quiet. In walked the most stunning male he'd ever seen. He looked to be around the same age as them all, and his face… Oh, it was mesmerizing. Aomine found himself staring at it as the other male wandered further into the classroom. And his hair, blond and beautiful; it shone beneath the fluorescent ceilings lights, and though his eyes were trained on the beauty before him, Aomine could hear whispers of his classmates. They were all thinking the same thing – this guy is _gorgeous_. He even overheard someone mentioning that this guy was some famous model… _Kise Ryouta_, he think they said.

Everyone had gone back to making casual conversation, but Aomine was still focused on the male before him. His back was to him now as he spoke with the professor, so Aomine couldn't get a good look at his face, and he found himself feeling disappointed. Lowering his gaze, he worked on readying his supplies so that he'd be prepared for when it was time to start. The lecture portion of their class had already ended, so everyone was restless to begin drawing: three different poses to draw for twenty minutes each.

Not focusing on the model as much as he was his canvas, he found it strange that the entire room had fallen silent once more. Curiosity got the better of him, and he wished it hadn't, for when he raised his head and peered over, the model had dropped the robe he had been donning and was now standing stark naked in the middle of all his classmates.

Quickly, Aomine lowered his gaze and returned to fiddling with his supplies. He could hear a few girls beside him squealing to one another, but other than that it was still remotely quiet. A minute had passed before he found himself without anything to do, but he was still too awestruck to look up. This model had the most beautiful, perfect, breathtaking body Aomine had ever seen. He was tall and thin; muscular, but not too bulky; his shoulders were broad, and everything about him just looked so warm and inviting. Aomine found himself wondering if the blond was as warm as he looked. Shaking his head, he willed any and all thoughts of such to dissipate from his mind. This didn't last long, because the second Aomine looked back up, the model was once more facing him, already getting in position to pose.

Aomine saw _everything_, and he was positive that in that moment, heat shot up to his ears and across the bridge of his nose faster than it would if he was getting heated while playing basketball. His ears were drumming and his head was aching from the sudden pressure. Thankfully, no one noticed the normally quiet and aloof male having an eternal breakdown, because all their eyes were on the male in the middle.

They were instructed to align themselves against the opposite wall in order to begin. Aomine found it very inconvenient that their professor hadn't instructed them to do so earlier, because there was absolutely no way in hell Aomine wanted to carry himself and his things past the model. When it was time to start and Aomine found himself finally calming down, the model had turned and gotten into position. Seeing as they were learning about muscles, the blond was set in some of the most uncomfortable looking positions so that his oh, too perfect muscles stood out. Aomine massaged his temples for a minute, and prayed that the pain in his head would decrease before he set to work.

Given the class had only an hour left, it passed fairly quickly, and Aomine was the first to pack all his belongings and head out. The sooner he got out of that classroom, got out of the same _building_, the better.

That night, Aomine lay in bed staring at the ceiling. His ears still felt like they were burning, and when he moved his hands to cover them, he thought holes were going to burn right through his skin due to the heat. During class, they had only managed through two poses, both of which were highly erotic (at least in Aomine's mind, and the minds of all the females in the classroom). Seeing as there was still one remaining pose they needed to draw in order to finish the assignment, they were to continue and finish up the next class. Their professor wasn't too pleased to have to continue when they could be moving on, but the model seemed highly enthusiastic about returning and finishing up; plus, with the dazzling smile he gave her, they all watched as she practically melted into the classroom's floor herself, another victim of the beautiful model.

Given that his class was scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, he had a day to calm himself before he had to face that attractive model – Kise Ryouta, yeah, that was his name – again. He only had one class on his Tuesday, Thursday schedule, so after he stepped out of his classroom, he was ready to head back and nap. However, his plans were foiled when he ran into a bundle of energy and was nearly knocked down a flight of stairs. A strong pair of hands quickly reached out and grabbed his forearms, keeping him from stumbling backwards, and when he recollected himself, he realized he would have much rather fallen down. Standing before him, gripping him tight was none other than the model from the day prior. His eyes were wide from shock and yup, Aomine's assumptions were correct; his hands were soft and warm and he wanted nothing more than to slip his own into them and feel said warmth radiate throughout his body, but first—

"I'm so sorry about that, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!" the blond's voice rang in his ears, and with the rushing blood, Aomine had a hard time hearing him to begin with. He swallowed thickly, feeling as if his throat was closing up every passing second the other's hands were on him. Figuring the other male got the hint, he was soon released and before he could hurry on his way, the model's face twisted up in what appeared to be concentration, but Aomine thought he looked like he was smacked in the face with a frying pan. Trying to sidestep away, he was stopped once more by the blond blocking him. Biting back a groan, Aomine narrowed his eyes and stared him down.

"What?" he asked bitterly, his one word question containing enough bite to challenge an angered Chihuahua.

"Are you Aomine Daiki?" he asked, and Aomine swore his heart stopped. How did he know his name? How did he know _him_?

Rattled and curious at the same time, Aomine's eyes managed to narrow further into slits. He continued glaring despite his heart feeling as if it was going to burst from his chest, leaving him to collapse onto the floor and turn into a pile of nothingness.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" he finally found the courage to say, wanting to shift his weight between his feet, but being unable to move comfortably with the way the blond stared him dead in the eye. Aomine felt transfixed in his spot, and like he wouldn't be able to move a muscle until the model looked away.

"I'm Kise Ryouta!" His voice was far too chipper and his smile far too bright and warm, Aomine felt as if he was standing a foot away from the sun itself, ready to melt into the tiled floor beneath them. "We went to the same middle school! I remember you used to play basketball for our team! You were the reason it was so well-known! I had considered joining myself, but my sister had gotten me into modeling instead and well, here I am!"

"Why are you here?" Aomine blurted out, mind racing as he tried putting two and two together. Here stood Kise Ryouta, apparent famous model who had just been in the nude before him and a handful of his classmates the day prior. He didn't even care if he sounded rude, because the way the other's lower lip subtly jutted out in a pout made it worth it.

"I go to school here," Kise confirmed, hands on his hips – those hips Aomine had spent a majority of the night thinking about how they would feel against the palms of his hands, how it would feel to have his fingers digging into them as he held on for dear life. The blond seemed to have no knowledge that he had modeled nude for Aomine the other day, so when Aomine oh-so casually brought it up, Kise's cheeks immediately darkened and wow, Aomine kept falling harder and harder the more he stood in his presence.

People around them were getting pissy that they were blocking the stairs, so Kise took him by the forearm once more and pulled him out of the way. They were on the landing now, occupying the farthest corner so students and professors alike could easily make their way up and down the stairs without knocking into them. Aomine's eyes were focused on Kise's blushing face, and he appeared much more timid than he had a few minutes prior, his entire bubbly personality hidden beneath nervous jittering. It was disgustingly adorable.

"Well, I'm working on paying my way through college, and what a better way than to model for some of the classes. They're always looking for people to work for them, plus it's not that hard. You just sit there and have people draw you—"

"Yeah, in the nude."

With the way Aomine kept casually bringing up the fact Kise had exposed himself in such a way caused Kise's cheeks to further darken, and Aomine had a hard time believing that someone such as this who had so easily dropped his clothes to complete strangers is now embarrassed.

"Nude modeling pays well. Since I'm in university now, I can't model as much as I used to in middle school and high school. I need a source of income so that I could afford the tuition. It costs a lot to come here, you should know that. You're here, too."

Brow cocked, Aomine thought it was insane that the blond couldn't take up a normal job, like working at the fast food restaurant down the street like a majority of students, or even working in some of the buildings on campus, cleaning classroom supplies so they'd be ready for the next classes. A part of him also felt bad due to the scholarships he had received and therefore wasn't required to pay as much as the other students. Kise shuffled his feet, mindlessly scuffing the toe of his shoe until he reached up to rub the back of his neck. Neither knowing what else to say at that point, Kise bid his farewell and turned to leave. Aomine may or may not have watched his ass as he left, picturing how it looked when it was naked and anticipated seeing it like that once more.

* * *

The next day in class was kind of awkward. Aomine kept _eying_ Kise, and when the blond's eyes would transfix themselves on Aomine's, his face would flush along with his torso. A few girls would giggle to themselves at the realization that the once confident model was now nervous, and it would only embarrass Kise further. Aomine figured it was a bad thing they ran into each other when they did, because it made it awkward for the both of them. Kise was flushed bright red, and Aomine was having trouble hiding his subtly throbbing member. He tried crossing his legs to make it less noticeable, but a paranoia arose that made him think that he was making it _more_ obvious.

When class ended, he wasn't sure how it happened… They were _both_ not sure how it happened, but Aomine caught Kise off guard and pulled him into the nearest bathroom. Thankfully, it was empty, because the second the door closed, Aomine's lips were on Kise's, and Kise's fingers were tangled in his hair. He had absolutely no idea what came over him, but he was even more convinced that the male he had straddled up against the wall was more similar to the sun than he once thought. Not only was his body warm, but his lips and mouth were as well. He felt as if he were being sucked right in, and there would be no way out.

A few more days passed, which included their secret bathroom make out sessions, before Kise asked Aomine out. Unsure of what _exactly_ he wanted, given he grew up invested in the voluptuous breasts and petite frames of women, Aomine swallowed over a lump in his throat and let his hand slide down from the wall where it rested beside Kise's head. They struggled to catch their breath after a rather intense round of making out, and Kise's cheeks were flushed and his hair was tousled, but he looked so _happy_; he was practically beaming up at Aomine despite trying to even out his breathing. His forehead found itself pressed against Kise's as he thought on the other's question: _Want to go to dinner with me tonight?_ With the way his mind was working, he was unsure if the other's intentions were innocent or something more. There was only one way for him to find out, and to figure out what he desired as well.

"Sure," he said, still a little breathless as he pressed a chaste kiss to Kise's jawline. He could feel Kise's cheeks pressing up beneath his lips as the blond smiled and when the other's arms wrapped around his torso and held him close, his heart nearly jumped from his chest. He felt as if he could fall asleep then and there in the other's embrace. He was so, _so warm_. Aomine _loved_ it.

* * *

Their "date" was exactly what Aomine thought it would be. Kise, who conventionally had a car with him at university, offered to drive them to a well-known restaurant to eat. Aomine was the one to initiate the footsies beneath the dinner table, and seeing the smile on Kise's face as he slowly nudged his feet back caused his heart to swell.

They stuck out like a couple of sore thumbs, or at least Aomine did. Kise was dressed more for the occasion, wearing a pair of dress pants and a nice polo, whereas Aomine showed up in jeans and a t-shirt. He received a few curious looks, but brushed them off; he was far too focused on the blushing male across from him – god, was he gorgeous. He then vowed that if they were to go on any more dates afterwards, he'd make the effort to dress up as well, something he wasn't too used to doing.

The check came after they finished eating, and Kise was first to pick it up. Aomine quickly snatched it out of his hands before either of them could look at the price and pulled it in close to his chest, out of Kise's reach. His ears began prickling as they heated up, and he muttered something under his breath that sounded like, "You're too worried about paying for school. Let me at least pay for dinner." The genuine smile he received caused his heartbeat to falter and he quickly pulled out his wallet as a distraction. His heart nearly stopped altogether after that, but he figured Kise was worth it… It had only been around two weeks, but he was already turning into a sappy piece of shit, and all they had been doing was making out. There was something about that warming smile that caused Aomine to want to bend over backwards for its owner.

When they arrived back on campus, Aomine found himself in the passenger seat with Kise on top of him. They were catching each other's lips hungrily, as if the dinner they had just consumed wasn't enough. He could taste a hint of sweetness on Kise's tongue from the dessert they had afterwards, and it made him crave the blond more. His hands were on his hips, fingers digging into his waist like he had imagined the first time he saw Kise, and _fuck he's a good kisser._ He knew how to work his tongue, how to move his mouth, how to make Aomine want to tear him apart, except Kise was the one tearing Aomine down. Aomine was practically writhing in his seat as he leaned back in order to break the kiss and make room to dive in and leave a trail of kisses up the expanse of the blond's neck. He had already seen him naked, but he began wondering what if would be like to have his lips biting kisses up the length of his back, caressing his spine and completely dominating him.

His hands worked on making their way beneath Kise's shirt as he nibbled and sucked on his skin, marking his neck without a care. Thumbs massaged circles into sharp hipbones, and just as Aomine was nipping across Kise's collarbone, the blond's hands were between them, pressing against Aomine's chest and pushing himself away. Aomine's eyes grew wide in surprise as Kise tumbled back into the passenger seat and began fixing his hair. Unsure of what just happened, Aomine's hands followed, and he twisted his torso so that he can try and claim the other's waist once more. Kise swatted his hands away, and Aomine's brows furrowed as he retracted them. He was met with a soft smile, and he could tell Kise's lower lip was trembling.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, suddenly panicked as he watches the other shake his head.

"Nothing, nothing," he began, but Aomine cut him off.

"Don't give me that crap, Kise. What's wrong?" Realizing he startled the blond, Aomine's gaze softened and he took Kise's hand in his, held it between his own, and raised it to his lips to press a kiss to his knuckles. "What's wrong Kise?" he asked once more, that time more quietly.

"I've never been with a guy before," he admitted, fingers curled around Aomine's thumb, squeezing it tightly as if it's the only thing keeping him held together.

A scoff brushed past Aomine's lips that caused Kise to flinch. "And you think I have?"

Those five words alone were enough to settle any and all of Kise's insecurities, and one last kiss was shared between the two males before they exited the vehicle and parted ways for the night.

Aomine sent him a text later on, letting him know how highly he thought of him and how much he enjoyed the date. He blamed being sleep deprived in the morning when he opened a blushing emoticon from the other male, and cursed himself for literally becoming a cheesy sap in just a matter of days.

* * *

Weeks began passing and the dates became more frequent. Sometimes they'd find themselves cuddling in each other's beds when their respective roommates were gone, and boy did Aomine enjoy it. Kise's warmth engulfed him and caused him to grow tired. The blond would stroke his hair and whisper giggled words into his ear that would make Aomine nod off with the most genuine of smiles on his lips.

* * *

The first time Aomine finally got Kise _into bed_ with him was during summer vacation. Kise had made the journey from his home in Kanagawa to Tokyo where Aomine lived in order to see his boyfriend. They had gone out to dinner like usual, but when they arrived back at Aomine's house, they discovered both his parents were still at work. Aomine was prepared for such an occasion as well, despite being embarrassed by the fact. What started off as fluffy making out on the tanned male's bed turned into heated who-can-tear-off-the-other's-clothes-first. Confidence filled Aomine when Kise began rocking his hips up against him; he could feel the blond's erection against his own, and it drove him insane. He'd never been so quick to grab anything in his life – not even a stray basketball – the way he reached into his bedside drawer and pulled out a pack of condoms and a small packet of lube.

They took it slow, Aomine preparing Kise and ogling his body at the same time (he was even more mesmerizing up close). Kise's face, ears, chest, and shoulders were flushed, and his bangs were beginning to stick to his forehead and temples due to a thin layer of sweat that covered his body. Breathy pants were pushing past his lips as his chest heaved in order to try and even out his breathing. _God, he's so fucking beautiful_, Aomine thought as he took his nipple into his mouth, nipping and sucking as Kise's slender fingers entwined with his hair and tugged on it roughly.

The moans that started spilling past Kise's lips were confirmation enough that he was ready. All the preparation Aomine put into making sure Kise would be as comfortable as possible paid off, because after the initial cries and whimpers that sounded when Aomine first pressed into the blond, the room was filled with his moans. Tear streaks were dried on Kise's cheeks from the prior pain, and Aomine thrust slowly as he kissed them away. Giggles spilled past Kise's lips as his cheeks tingled at the sensation, and he was soon rocking his hips in sync with Aomine's, meeting his thrusts to deepen the other's.

Afterwards, when they were falling from their respective highs and cuddling beneath the mess that was Aomine's bed sheets. Kise pressed fleeting kisses to his neck and smiled as he hid his face.

"I think that next time you should model with me," Kise muttered into Aomine's shoulder, blushing furiously as he bit back a giggle. Aomine is muscular in his own right, even more so than Kise. The thought crossed his mind, and Aomine realized that if he were to model with the other, there would be absolutely no way he'd be able to keep his hands to himself, even with a class full of people watching. Now that he'd had a taste of the blond's warm body, there'd be no way of keeping him from completely dominating him the second his skin was exposed.

"Maybe one day, you idiot," he teased lightly, chuckling as he could feel Kise's lips twitching downward into a frown against his shoulder. "Come on, don't be like that. I was only kidding." As if to make it up to him, Aomine slowly massaged his lower back and his hips, tending to the sore male in his arms until he felt fully recovered.

Kise spent a few more days at Aomine's place after that, roaming around in the other's t-shirts and sweats; Aomine realized that damn, Kise could make anything look fashionable. His shirts were a little big on the blond, and Aomine thought he looked absolutely adorable in them, especially with his ruffled up hair and bright, loving smile. They cuddled and made out, and on occasion Kise would coax Aomine to play basketball with him – Aomine was surprised by just how good Kise was. He was informed that Kise breezed through every other sport during middle school, but had never considered basketball, figuring it would be another cakewalk. Part of him regretted his decision, wishing he had given it a chance, saying it would have brought him to Aomine sooner. They both blushed at that statement, and Aomine ended up burying his face against Kise's shoulder to hide it.

When Kise finally headed back home, there were only a few weeks left until classes were to start back up for the fall semester, and Aomine began anticipating seeing his boyfriend once more. During their break, they had discussed possibly becoming roommates during the next school year, and how it would be _convenient_. They'd be able to see each other without worrying about wandering roommates or hurrying to each other's rooms in the middle of the night. Aomine was all for the idea, especially since he'd started dating Kise, he'd discovered he yearns to hold and be held. He'd never knew before attending university that he had a craving for physical contact – cuddling became one of his favourite past times, especially when plush comforters and Kise's sweet-smelling body wash were involved.

Another thing that occurred when the two started dating, was that Aomine found himself keeping a sketchbook of drawings of Kise and Kise alone. The drawings of his shoes and other basketball related objects slowly diminished and the figures of Kise increased tenfold. Page after page, there was Kise sleeping, cuddling into Aomine, cleaning, eating, and then an abundance of the blond smiling and laughing. There was something about Kise when he was smiling and laughing that Aomine loved. It made him _happy_. He absolutely adored the way Kise's lips would curl upwards, a quiet chuckle sounding in his throat, and the way the corners of his eyes would crinkle when he was ecstatic. From time to time, Aomine would allow Kise to watch him, because he would draw Kise from memory. The margins of his notebooks were filed with Kise's hands, lips, nose, eyes, his bare torso… Aomine found himself having a hard time believing that there was once a time where he hated drawing human figures, and realized it's all he desired to do; at least if Kise was involved.

Kise was no artist either, though he did learn quickly. The first time Aomine found Kise fast asleep in his bed when he woke up in the morning, with his personal sketchbook wrapped in Kise's arms, he couldn't help but laugh. The drawings in it was… Horrific. When Kise woke up, Aomine positioned him between his legs and rested his chin on his shoulder. From there, he took Kise's hand which was holding a pencil, and guided it across the page, whispering into his ear just how to move his fingers, his wrist, his arm, to create a masterpiece. Days later when they were in the same position and Kise was working on his own, Aomine pressing kisses against the blond's neck as he drew, he would whisper into his ear about how Kise was the most beautiful piece of work he had ever seen. This caused Kise to sputter and his pencil to scratch across the page, leaving a nasty dark line from one corner of his drawing's mouth – _Aomine's mouth_ – to the other.

* * *

Momoi was the first to meet Kise, and she stated that he looked oddly familiar. Almost instantly, she realized he was from Teikou as well, and Aomine gave her a look somewhere between "_how_ the fuck did you know that" and "_why_ the fuck did you know that?" She said his face was memorable, and anyone in their right mind would recognize him. Kise threw a side glance at Aomine who muttered obscenities under his breath about women and their memories, and Momoi couldn't help but laugh because Kise wiggled his fingers in between Aomine's and Aomine squeezed his hand in response like it was the most natural thing in the world. When he realized what he had done, before his best friend of all people, Aomine pressed the palm of his hand to his face to hide his blush. Momoi laughed some more, because _Dai-chan's being too adorable for his own good_. Kise smiled as well, slowly running his thumb across the back of his hand as if the simple action would soothe him. In a way it did, because Aomine dropped his opposite hand from his face, cheeks still tinted red and an angry looking scowl on his features.

Momoi completely approved of Kise, and that alone gave the blond all the confidence in the world – to have been approved by such an important person in Aomine's life, someone whom he had heard so, _so_ much about, elated Kise more than he could put into words. Aomine told him to stop making such a big deal over something so small, but he continued beaming and conversing with Momoi as if he weren't even there, though their hands were still conjoined. Quickly, Momoi became one of Kise's best friends as well, much to Aomine's annoyance; instead of having to deal with one of them at a time, he had to deal with them together at once.

He guessed it wasn't _so_ bad the more time they spent together after becoming friends. Kise would occupy Momoi, and vice versa, and Aomine would have time to himself; however, on occasion, the two bubbly entities would surround Aomine while he was relaxing and force him into hanging out with them as well. Despite their annoyance from time to time, it wasn't horrible spending time with his two most treasured people.

* * *

During their last semester, Aomine and Kise didn't see much of each other when it wasn't late at night and they were exchanging warmth in bed. They hardly found time to eat lunch and dinner together every day like they used to. Aomine was always busy working on projects for his classes, and Kise was consumed by his studying and essay writing. When they _did_ find time to be with each other though, they made up for all that was missed in between. Kise would be bruised and sore by the night was over, and both would be completely satisfied, as if they hadn't gone days without seeing the other.

For Aomine's life drawing class, they were preparing to take their final examination: another timed drawing of one of the models they had studied throughout the prior semester. Given they had gone through a handful, there were some models his classmates were more comfortable drawing than others; some models and their figures just _clicked_ with the person holding the pencil. Aomine was conflicted; part of him wanted Kise to walk through the door as he anxiously bounced his foot against the floor, because Kise was the model he knew best, inside and out, from head to toe. At the same time, part of him didn't want the blond coming in, he wanted to challenge himself and get a grade he knew he deserved from his skill and skill alone. In a way it felt like cheating if he were to quickly sketch out Kise's figure perfectly, something he could manage with his eyes closed.

Unsure whether to call it luck or not, a few minutes passed and Kise walked through the door, almost nervous this time compared to the first. Aomine could tell he was feeling the same thing. The first time they had met in such a situation, they weren't in such an established relationship; Aomine figured he had to put that behind him and focus on the assignment. Anybody could have their eyes on Kise, but he _knew_ that he had the blond wrapped around his finger. This was no time to be jealous of anyone else seeing his boyfriend nude, because they all had already seen him in such a way.

Time flew by since the professor instructed them to start, and Aomine worked diligently. Considering how well he knew Kise's body, he spent countless minutes drawing in the small details – the miniscule freckles that littered his forearms and shoulders, the faded birthmark beneath his left nipple, the obvious hickeys which he had placed there himself… He wouldn't stand until he knew it was as perfect as the model himself. Kise was his muse, and after the months they had spent together, Aomine had him to thank for carrying him so far. Kise kept him inspired, Aomine's art found life because of him; his horizons expanded, and everything started looking brighter, feeling warmer.

When he was finally finished and his work was turned in, he exited the room, waiting for Kise to change and join him. As Kise finally wandered out a few minutes later, fully clothed and as bright as ever, Aomine took his hand in his, entwining their fingers and squeezing the other's hand. Quickly, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Kise's temple, taking in his familiar scent. Kise questioned what it was for, and Aomine merely shrugged.

He discovered a masterpiece in Kise Ryouta, and he was thankful every day for their fated meeting.


End file.
